Richard came in carrying a fresh cup of coffee.

He sat down three chairs away from me.

“The nurse said it’d be two hours,” Richard said.

I kept looking out the window.

“That’s right,” I said.

“Ellen,” he said again, his voice sinking into a low, bargaining tone.

I turned the silver key over once more and dropped it safely into the zipper pocket of my bag.

I zipped it closed.